Buried Treasure
Barbara Haworth Attard
Buried Treasure
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Barbara Haworth Attard
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Jesse’s life turns upside down when trouble with the law sends him to live with his grandfather. Then he meets Eliza, who carries her own deep pain. But that’s only the beginning of a journey that could change them all.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This story follows Jesse, a teenager sent to live with his grandfather after legal troubles, where he meets Eliza, a girl coping with her mother’s suicide. It explores themes of grief, healing, and connection among young people facing difficult circumstances. Recommended for ages 13 and up due to emotional themes surrounding bereavement and family challenges.
Why we rated Buried Treasure 9ME
Buried Treasure is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 178 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Buried Treasure works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Buried Treasure as 9ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bereavement.
Thematically, Buried Treasure explores mystery, bereavement, family, and friendship — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about mystery, bereavement, family.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781896184388
- Pages
- 178
- Publisher
- Montréal : Roussan Publishers
- Published
- May 1, 1998
- Type
- Fiction